Duty
by PadawanMage
Summary: What would have happened if Darth Maul had kidnapped the wrong Queen while our heroes were still on Tatooine? Alternate Universe take on a scene from The Phantom Menace. Read and Review! Completed 26 August 2006.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** "Duty"

**Spoilers:** All of Episode I

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** What would have happened had Darth Maul captured who he thought was the Queen during the sandstorm on Tatooine? Takes place immediately after Anakin wins the hyperdrive for the gang and are on their way back to the ship with it.

**Author's Notes: ** This story is an 'alternate detour' or alternate universe from the rest of the movie. Originally, I had planned to leave it as a one-shot, but in the six years since I posted I've had ideas bounce in my mind about giving it a proper ending. Not to mention, the story recently received a review from someone asking if I was going to continue. I know that the SW movies are done, but I wanted this story to be properly finished.

Enjoy!

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Padme, Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar and Artoo were on their way back to their crippled Naboo ship. Riding on eopies, they pulled along a track in which the hard-earned hyperdrive rested. It was midday, so they were taking their time getting to their ship. Padme was the one who first noticed the smoke.

"Look!"

Straining his neck forward, Qui-Gon Jinn followed the direction of Padme's finger. The Jedi Master could just make out a thin curl of smoke rising into the sky, just beyond the last sand dune – the same direction where their ship was. He quickly detached his mount from the track.

"Everyone stay here and don't follow me. If I don't make it back, get back to Mos Espa," ordered Qui-Gon.

Snapping the reins hard, he raced forward heading toward the rising smoke.

Padme's face went rigid as she watched the Jedi Master race over the dunes. She considered for a moment and then also snapped her reins, racing after the Jedi.

Jar-Jar was frantic. "Wait, Wait! Where yousa goin?"

Padme, not even bothering to look over her shoulder, raced on.

**oOoOo**

Qui-Gon reigned in his eopie just short of the ship. He slid off and whipped out his lightsaber. First thing he noticed was that the smoke was coming out of the main hatch. The second thing was the bodies. Racing forward, he came to the first, a handmaiden. He touched her wrist. There was a definite pulse, if a weak one. He looked around some more. Panaka was there, as well as Obi-Wan. Turning over the Padawan, he was relieved that he also was alive, if out. He then noticed a massive welt over his forehead.

_What happened…?_

Qui-Gon leaned over and pressed his hand over his apprentices' eyes. He let the Force flow from him to his student. After a moment, Ob-Wan moaned softly. Obi-Wan's eyes fluttered open, looking very much dazed.

Qui-Gon looked up quickly at the excited form of Padme, breathing hard from the ride.

"I thought I told you to stay with the others – " began Qui-Gon but was cut off by a raised hand.

"My place is with my Queen." Padme's tone was one that brooked no argument.

Hardly behavior befitting a handmaiden, wondered Qui-Gon. At the moment, Obi-Wan slowly regained consciousness.

"Master…." began Obi-Wan, while at the same time trying to sit up. Qui-Gon immediately pushed him back.

"Rest easy, my boy. You're not going anywhere anytime soon."

Obi-Wan nodded, winced from even that small action, and lay back down. "The Queen…" he rasped.

Qui-Gon looked around and didn't see any sign of Her Majesty. He looked at Padme.

"Watch him, and check the others. I'm going inside." With that he came up to the entrance, took a deep breath, held it, and with lightsaber extended, walked in.

From the illumination given off by his weapon, Qui-Gon could see that very little damage, if any, was evident. Surprised, he noticed the smoke wasn't making his eyes tear. Not smoke, gas. Several of the pilots and crewmembers were slumped over there stations. Again, all knocked out.

Near the entrance, charred remains of what he guessed to be some form of canisters shown in the light. Qui-Gon wondered why anyone would go to this much trouble unless….there was a specific target in mind? Working fast, he activated the ship air recycling system. Air rushed in, taking the heady gas with it. Already people were starting to recover.

Satisfied, Qui-Gon headed towards the Queen's quarters. Searching quickly, he couldn't find any sign of the Queen. Several of her handmaidens were around, just now recovering. After checking them, he went outside.

Obi-wan, recovering somewhat, was now sitting up. He still seemed too wobbly to stand. Panaka, already up, seemed to be talking to Padme.

"The Queen's missing," Qui-Gon announced.

Both Panaka and Padme shared a look.

Qui-Gon looked down at his student. "What happened?"

Panaka answered for him. "It was just after the sandstorm. We were recalibrating the sensors since it seems that they don't have much of an affinity to sand. For a while we were blind. Things were going fine for a while until we heard a tapping on the main hatch. We couldn't see who it was, of course, so we thought it might've been someone who was caught in the storm. We opened the hatch, and this…this thing came in…small…black. It came in so quick, we didn't have time to do anything."

Obi-Wan continued, "It looked like some kind of recon droid. Anyway, it came in, scanned the area quickly and dropped two canisters."

"Yes, I've seen them" Qui-Gon added.

"Before we could do anything, the first canister exploded. It was some form of flash grenade, which stunned everyone for a few moments. The second also went off but it wasn't an explosive. The whole compartment filled with thick gas. Those that weren't prepared were out like a light."

Obi-Wan stared at the ground, shamefacedly. "I tried to hang on as best I could, but the combination of both grenades was almost too much. It was then I noticed someone coming through the hatch. I didn't see the person, but…I felt cold. He knew where to look because when I saw him heading back out to the hatch, he was carrying the Queen. I tried to follow, but he kicked me hard." He gingerly touched the welt on his forehead.

"It wasn't your fault, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon reassured. "There was no way you could've done anything." His apprentice's face pretty much said it would be a while before he forgave himself.

"If this happened recently he shouldn't have gone too far." Qui-Gon went to his eopie.

"Wait!" Panaka yelled.

Qui-Gon turned to him, a questioning look on his face. "The Queen's kidnapped and you're saying to wait?" Again, Qui-Gon caught an unspoken exchange between Panaka and Padme. Panaka glanced over to make sure no one else was within earshot besides the two Jedi.

'The Queen…is safe," the Captain said. With that he looked directly at Padme.

Both Jedi were stunned as realization dawned on them.

"I think an explanation in order," Qui-Gon said mildly.

**oOoOo**

Far above the orbit of Tatooine, a lone craft raced away at breakneck speed. Inside, a very determined pilot was finishing up the calculations for the jump to hyperspace. A few minutes to get out of the gravity well of the planet and they'd be on their way. Satisfied that the autopilot could take over, he turned and headed to the main hold to check on his 'guest.'

Queen Amidala slept deeply. Having been dumped into an acceleration chair hadn't even woken her. Apparently he'd caught her just as she and her handmaidens were getting up. She still had on the white face-paint and voluminous gown. The headpiece he'd thrown out due to its hindrance while he was carrying her back his speeder.

He looked at her for a moment, considered, and then produced a small vial. Coming right up to her, Maul snapped the vial and waved it in front of her nose. With a look of disgust, the Queen awoke. He stepped back and retreated further into the shadows. The Queen shook her head, groggily looking around.

"Wha…?" she began. A soft, menacing voice answered

"Welcome back to the living, Queen Amidala."

Amidala looked right at the man, and gasped. Two yellow on red eyes, peering through a black hood stared right at her. Even more frightening, a series of red tattoos crossed his ebony face.

Maul relished the fear pouring from her, but was surprised at how quickly the Queen reined it in and assumed a commanding air.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am Darth Maul, you Highness," he said with a mocking bow, "and your rescuer."

She seemed to notice for the first time that she was in a ship of some kind. At the same moment, a loud whine, followed by a dimming of power, indicated that the ship entered hyperspace.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded.

"Why, to your home world of Naboo, of course," he said with a vicious smile. "Where you will sign a treaty legitimizing the Trade Federation's Occupation."

"I will sign no treaty," the Queen retorted with a lift of her chin.

Maul cocked his head at her. Slowly he walked up to her and ran a single finger down a milky cheek. He smiled inwardly as she trembled.

"Oh, trust me my queen." His lips bare inches from her ear. "By the time I'm done with you, you will do anything I ask." And with a flurry of robes, Maul headed back to the bridge.

Sabé could only mutely watch as her kidnapper marched away. She had no idea as to who this person was, but, for now, her role as decoy still fooled him. For how long was the question.

**oOoOo**

"A decoy, then?" asked an incredulous Qui-Gon. Padme nodded.

"Yes, in times of crisis, Sabé takes over for me and assumes the role of Queen. My various costumes and regalia also help with the charade even more so. Trust me, I wasn't wearing those headpieces for my health." She rubbed her neck ruefully.

"With every Queen," Panaka added, "a group of handmaidens are also picked, mostly with the same build and characteristics. But the decoy is different. Given the nature of the work, we had to find someone who could handle all the rigors of being not just a decoy, but a bodyguard as well."

Obi-Wan shook his head in amazement.

"So, what now?" asked Qui-Gon.

"We have to get the hyper drive installed in the ship," Padme said. "The longer we stay here, the more time we give my 'kidnapper' time to discover his mistake."

"But," began Obi-Wan, "what about Sabé?" Panaka looked away. Amidala's face hardened.

"She swore an oath to protect me at all costs. The longer she can hold out, the quicker I can make my appeal to the Senate and hopefully end the occupation. Her first duty was to me, and mine are to my people, just as yours," she looked at the Jedi, "are to protect me."

Qui-Gon held her gaze for a moment. Very softly he said, "You realize you're condemning her to death."

For a second, the Queen's hardened exterior cracked.

"No, Master Jedi, I'm not just condemning a bodyguard, I'm condemning a friend." With that she turned and headed back to the ship.

**oOoOo**

Sabé looked up to see her abductor stride in.

"We're half-way there, you Highness," he hissed.

Here we go,she thought. She stood up and walked towards him, her finger jabbed in his direction.

"I _demand_ that you take me ba – " She never finished. A vicious backhand made her crumple to the floor.

Maul grabbed her violently by her braided hair. His yellow-red eyes burned into hers, his breath hot on her face.

"Know this, Queen," he whispered. "You may be royalty, but on my ship no one makes demands of me!" He let her go and stood.

Slowly getting up, Sabé ran a hand across her mouth. Glaring at Maul, she felt a warm stickiness on her lips. He stared at her a moment and came closer to her. His sheer presence almost overwhelmed her.

Maul ran a finger across her lips. A tattooed finger came up, blood on the tip.

"Hurts?" he asked as he licked at the blood. Sabé said nothing.

"Good," he said with a snort. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her neck and kissed her roughly.

Maul broke the kiss and stared into her eyes.

"So, my Queen, how knowledgeable are you in that area?" He let his eyes roam up and down her body.

Disgusted, Sabé turned her gaze away from him.

Smirking, Maul stepped back and held a fist in front of her. Focusing on her dress, he opened up his hand in front of her. At that gesture, her dress fell down, leaving only a bare covering on her body. Gasping she tried to cover herself. Maul stepped forward and ran a finger down her neck. Keeping an eye on her, he kept his finger going down until it came to a barely covered breast. Slowly, he ran it over the nipple, enjoying the excited reaction as it slowly became erect.

Breathing hard, Sabé tried retreating further into the wall.

"You resist?" Maul whispered. Sabé only glared.

"Good," he said as his cloak fell to the ground.

Hours later, Sabé looked up as Maul pulled the rest of his clothes on. She stole a quick glance at a wall chronometer and sighed inwardly. The Queen had to be well on her way.

An insistent beeping came from a corner of the room. Maul came up to a small, raised platform and kneeled. Moments later, a hologram of a cloaked figure appeared.

"What is thy bidding, my – " The cloaked figure interrupted Maul abruptly.

"Maul, where are you?" Darth Sidious intoned chillingly. "I've just gotten word that Queen Amidala's ship has just entered the Coruscant system and that she herself has asked to talk to me as well as the Chancellor."

At the sound of that menacing, yet familiar voice, Sabé gazed up…and her heart went to her throat.

_Senator Palpatine?_

Maul was dumbfounded. "But…my master, that's not possible. She is here." He gestured, clearly forgetting the state that the 'Queen' was currently in. Sidious glanced at her and with a sneer he looked back at Maul.

"You fool," Sidious said softly. "This is not the Queen. This is her bodyguard - one of her own handmaidens used as a decoy."

Eyes bulging, Maul could do nothing except stare from his master to Sabé.

"You know how…forgiving I am in these matters, Maul?" Sidious said.

Maul, his face a mixture of shame and rage, could only stare straight down at his feet.

Sidious continued, "We will discuss this later. In the meantime, continue to Naboo and await instructions. As for the girl…"

Maul looked up and finally met his master's eye. Sidious crossed his arms and shrugged slightly.

"Find out what you can about the _true_ Queen's" – Sidious emphasized the words slightly – "plans should she return to Naboo. Afterwards…dispose of her."

With that, the hologram fizzled and disappeared returning the room to semi-darkness.

Sabé, breathing hard, kept staring at the spot where the hologram of the senator from Naboo once stood. It was almost too fantastic to believe. Senator Palpatine was the kindest man she'd ever known, dedicated to helping Naboo or anyone else in the Senate. But the person she'd just witnessed was cruel, harsh…evil. And she knew that knowledge like this would never escape her lips. She glanced back warily at this 'Maul,' his muscles seemingly tight with tension.

For a long time, he stood there, just staring at the empty area where the hologram stood. Finally, he turned and looked at her. Without a second glance, he lightsaber flew out into his outstretched hand. Walking up to her, he stared at her coldly.

"You will tell me what you know," he said, his voice wintry calm.

All of Sabé's haughtiness was gone, replaced by a calm acceptance of what was to come. Clutching the remains of her robe to her chest, she stared right up at him, defiant to the last.

Maul looked down at her, his face half-hidden in shadow. He lowered himself to her level, face only inches from hers.

_Snap-hiss!_

Face bathed in crimson, Sabé's eyes widened a bit as Maul's lightsaber hummed right between them. Leaning closer, Maul ran the back of his hand down her cheek – almost tenderly.

Almost.

She turned her face away from his hand. Cheek to cheek, and in a lover's whisper he said:

"Then I hope pain is something you enjoy."

Yes, she had done her duty.

The ship sped on inexorably towards Naboo.

**-Continued-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** We continue with what happened to Sabe in the last chapter.**  
**

**Author's Notes: **I can't believe I actually wrote my apparent one-shot more than seven years ago! Please note that some scenes may not be suitable for some people.

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Pain. 

Searing, unending pain.

The echoes of nerve-wracking screams reverberated through the compartments of the ship. Sometimes they would stop abruptly, sometimes ceaselessly continuing for long stretches on end. One of the occupants of the ship idly wondered who could produce such shrieks. What must that poor wretch be going through to be pushed so far as to yell like some poor animal?

Sabé then realized, quite blithely in fact…that _she_ was the source of the screams. 

Just as quickly as it came, the pain flared once, and then receded. Weak and exhausted, the woman hung limply by the manacles that kept her hands above her head, her body pressed to a bulkhead.

Painfully, her head rose so that her blood-shot eyes met the tattooed face of her torturer.

Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith and apprentice to Lord Sidious, slowly pulled his hand away where it had hovered mere inches from the woman's face.

"Your will is strong, I will grant you that," the black-clad warrior remarked in almost grudging admiration.

Sabé could say nothing, merely glaring her defiance at her tormentor. Hours of torture had made her throat so dry and coarse that she couldn't even spit at the man anymore. Even so, the fact she had not cracked under the agony spoke volumes as to her resolve. Cracked, bleeding lips quivered into something that might once have been a contemptuous smile.

Maul's eyes narrowed to slits at the display, his red and orange pupils looking almost reptilian. Although keeping a defiant exterior, Sabé couldn't quite stop a slight quiver of dread at the display. Shreds of clothing hung loosely on her body. Sabé had experienced more than enough of this person's ministrations to know what he was capable of.

The Sith Lord fingered the activation stud on his double-sided lightsaber. He'd used it previously on its lowest setting – what remained of shredded clothing couldn't quite hide the vicious burn marks crisscrossing the woman's upper torso. Now, however, he was seriously considering ending this imposter's life, not only for not revealing any information of interest, but also for making him lose face in front of his master.

Before he could do anything, an insistent beeping emanated from his glove. Without another word, he turned and with a whip of his black robes, left the woman hanging.

Sabé waited several long moments. When no one showed, she slowly sagged on the restraints, a ragged sigh whispering away through tattered lips. How much longer could she possibly last? The outcome didn't matter since she'd played her part so beautifully. She had done exactly as she had been trained: saving her queen's life.

And yet, saving the Queen's life seemed to pale in comparison to the knowledge she'd stumbled upon: Senator Palpatine was master over the fierce warrior as well as possibly being in league with the Trade Federation. It made no sense whatsoever. Shaking her head, Sabé was aware of this information almost certainly needed to get to Queen Amidala.

What was even more disturbing was the fact that this Maul had used a lightsaber. A Jedi would never have used it for the purposes demonstrated on her, as evidenced by the burn marks on her skin. Was Palpatine somehow a Force user? There were just too many questions and not enough answers.

Sabé impotently pulled on her chains. Although short, they, along with the manacles on her wrists, held her fast to the bulkhead, her bare a half meter off the ground. Trying not to admit defeat, she looked for someway out of her predicament. Sabé didn't give much thought to her chances given how far she'd resisted torture. Once they'd reach her homeworld, Maul would seek out the real Queen, making Sabé dispensable.

She tensed suddenly as the lights around her dimmed and the ship gave a whine and a shudder. The ship had just exited out of hyperspace.

They'd just arrived at Naboo.

**oOoOo**

Forward and above from the deck where Sabé hung, Darth Maul sat in the cockpit of the Sith Infiltrator. After checking several readouts, he leaned forward and pulled on a lever, the characteristic streaking of the stars snapping back to indicate the jumping back to realspace. Almost immediately, he initiated a deep space scan of the surrounding area – one could never be certain of who or what might be waiting for him on the other side. The scan showed nothing but that Naboo was right where it was supposed to be. A single, solitary Trade Federation battleship sat in geosynchronous orbit above the capital of Theed.

Maul shook his head, his lip curling in derision. The Neimoidians had made the idiotic assumption that the war was over. In their overconfidence, they'd sent all but one ship in their blockade fleet back home. Didn't they realize that the Queen, along with her Jedi lapdogs, was on her way from Coruscant? The war was not over until the Queen signed the treaty his Master wanted.

The Sith Lord considered for a moment. Perhaps the Trade Federation needed a rude awakening as to the meaning of true power? The Sith Infiltrator was a fitting name for his ship. Along with a very powerful cloaking device (which currently kept it invisible from the larger ship's screens), it carried sophisticated computers that allowed him to slice into almost any system. His master was gracious enough to provide him with the command codes necessary to disrupt almost any function onboard that ship. He called up a subroutine on a console which brought up a rotating hologram of the battleship. Sections of the ship were highlighted. With but a press of a button, the Neimoidians could find their shields suddenly switched off. Or perhaps all the links between them and all their droid armies on the surface could suddenly be disrupted.

The notion did seem fitting. But, as the ship grew larger on the screen, Maul reconsidered. The war wasn't over yet, and the last thing his master would want was for the Neimoidians to be falling over themselves in panic just at the cusp of victory. Fear and terror were excellent motivators, you just had to know when and where to apply it. Besides, if there was an issue with the tactics of the Trade Federation, why not take them up with Viceroy Nute Gunray, himself?

Maul face slowly twisted into a predatory smile.

**oOoOo**

Sabé's head raised a little, her eyes narrowing slightly. Even suspended off the ground, she could feel the vibrations from the hull coming down her chains. The ship was coming down for a landing. Urgently, she looked here and there for some way to release the manacles, but could find nothing. With a slight thump, the ship landed. The handmaiden found it highly ironic that she was to come full circle in this whole sordid incident.

The rear hatch opened and air from her homeworld flooded in. For a moment, Sabé closed her eyes and breathed in the lush breeze. How she so wanted to feel the lush grass below her feet. She briefly imagined herself walking on one of the many beaches with that young Jedi whom she'd talked with briefly before she'd been kidnapped.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of someone walking down metal stairs. She tensed for the inevitable but still held her chin high. If she were to die now, it would be in knowing that she had done her duty and that the Queen, for now, was safe.

Maul, putting on some gloves and throwing his hood over his head walked right past the hanging woman, making his way towards the ramp. Just at the exit, however, he paused. His head tilted, looking as if something minor had been forgotten. Slowly, he swung his gaze to look back at Sabé, her broken and battered body still hanging where it was. His orange-red eyes looked her up and down once. With a snort of contempt, he left the craft, closing the hatch after him.

Sabé could only stare at the spot the man had stood only moments earlier. Her mouth opened slightly in bemusement and then she slowly gritted her teeth. He no longer considers me a threat, she thought. He probably thinks I'll stay right where I am and then he can deal with me when he pleases. Her face hardened. We'll see about that.

**oOoOo**

Wide-eyed Neimoidians scurried away in fear from the dark figure striding through their midst. None even dared to question as to the person's presence in the palace. Darth Maul paid no mind to the fools parting before him. He had only one to deal with. As he entered the central rotunda, he could see Nute Gunray – already having made himself ruler of this planet by occupying the throne – talking heatedly with one of his advisors. When the head of the Trade Federation caught sight of the Sith, his eyes grew wide.

"L – Lord Maul! We weren't expecting you so soon. If we'd known…"

"You were not supposed to," Maul cut in. As he continued walking towards the throne, Gunray shrank a little under the other's cold gaze. The Neimoidian's hands started to tremble as they gripped the sides of the throne. Even when Maul stood right over him and stared at him unblinkingly, Gunray only sank further in the throne, as if trying to hide within its stone and cushion construction. Gunray opened and closed his mouth several times, wondering why the other was just staring at him. He quickly glanced at his coterie of advisors, but some, if not all, were looking at anything else but the tableau before them.

Finally, with beads of sweat appearing on his brow, Gunray slid off the throne and stood to one side. Maul nodded once and, instead of sitting in the now-unoccupied throne, stood on its left, as if indicating that only one had the right to sit there.

"Where," Maul started, his eyes flashing, "is Queen Amidala?"

Gunray swallowed and answered, "She's already on her way here, my lord. Once she's landed, it should be no problem to find and detain her so that she can sign the treaty that Lord Sidious desires." He was about to continue when a battle droid entered the throne room and spoke to one of the nearest advisors. The advisor's eyes widened and strode over to whisper into Gunray's ear. The Viceroy's grey skin turned a shade paler as he traded hasty whispers with the advisor.

"What is it?" Maul said impatiently.

Nute Gunray waved off the messenger and blinked several times. After clearing his throat he said, "The Queen's Royal Cruiser has been found."

"And the Queen? The Jedi with her?" Maul pointedly asked.

The Viceroy had the look of a womprat driven to a corner with nowhere to go. "Gone," he said. "Our scouts have searched the surrounding areas and have found nothing."

Maul's eyes narrowed. He was about to berate the Viceroy for being such a fool when he realized it would do no good. The Queen may have gone to ground, which meant that she was planning something. This wouldn't be possible without the support of the Jedi. Maul's teeth stretched to a hideous parody of a smile and his hand patted his lightsaber on his belt. The Neimoidians may be fools, but even fools had uses. Let them take care of the Queen when she showed up and he would take care of the Jedi.

At the thought of the Queen, Maul idly wondered what going on back on his ship – specifically with the decoy woman he left hanging. He glanced down and was about to check in with his wrist communicator, when another droid came in.

"Lord Sidious commands you to make contact with him," the droid said to Viceroy Gunray, who quailed slightly at the news. Maul forgot about the woman and his smile grew nastier at seeing the head of the Trade Federation buckle under the pressure.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain to my master what has happened since the last time he spoke to you and why the Queen isn't in custody yet?" he suggested. Maul even felt gracious enough to let the Viceroy sit back on the throne.

For appearances sake, of course.

**oOoOo**

Sabé gritted her teeth and twisted her upper arm just a little bit more. The shackles that held her wrists were very tightly secured, making it impossible to pull her hands through. What she needed was some way to loosen their hold on her, or somehow wet the area between the bare metal and her skin. She'd remembered a lesson Captain Panaka had drilled into her and the rest of the handmaidens: _Use whatever you have available in front of you. Success or failure in a mission could very well depend on whether you've considered anything and everything as useful._

The shackles had proven too secure to pull her hands through. Whether it had been by design or not, the restraints had a keen edge to them – probably to inflict as much pain on the person during torture. That edge now proved useful as Sabé twisted one more time and grunted a little in pain. Rivulets of blood started flowing over the metal and down her arm. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her wrist to try and get the skin as slick as possible. Taking a deep breath she pulled as hard as she could. After several tries, she further lacerated the skin around her hand, but still couldn't get it out of the restraint.

A sudden rumble in the distance made Sabé look up in concern. Even through the hull, she could hear the distinct sounds of blaster fire and explosions. There was no way of knowing but she would've bet anything that the Queen had something to do with what was happening out there. Whatever the case, Maul would also be in the thick of things, which meant that her queen would need all the help she could get.

Gritting her teeth, Sabé took a deep breath and pulled even harder. Inch by inch the hand slid through until finally, with a scream of pain, Sabé ripped her arm free from its restraint. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she then brought the bleeding and ripped hand over to the other manacle. Blood, still running, dripped down and onto the other hand. When enough had come down, she started twisting once again.

**oOoOo**

Viceroy Gunray and his second in command, Rune Haako, ran over to the communications area, adjacent to the throne room. On the screens could be seen the firefights erupting within the palace grounds between the battle droids and what looked like guards loyal to the Queen. He frowned. The reports given to him stated that the primitives from the ocean floor were to have made their stand in the fields far beyond the capital. He'd said as much to Lord Sidious, who'd then given him permission to wipe them all out.

"I thought the battle was to take place far from here," Gunray said agitatedly. "This is too close." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Darth Maul walk over, eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

"This is not the work of the primitive Gungans," the Sith Lord said with a sneer. "The Jedi are involved in this, as is the Queen." Without a second look he turned and started to leave the throne room.

"Lord Maul, where are you going?" Rune Haako nervously asked.

Maul stopped suddenly in his tracks and turned to fix a cold gaze on the Niemoidians. "Have you not guessed as to my true purpose for being here? I will personally deal with the Jedi myself. You _can_ deal with a handful of palace guards and capture the Queen, can't you, Viceroy?"

Gunray nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, my lord." But Maul had already turned and stalked out, not even bothering to stay for the answer. The Viceroy swallowed. For a moment, he almost pitied the Jedi for what they were about to encounter. Turning back to the screens, he could only watch as the battle unfolded.

**-Continued-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** We see how instrumental Sabé is in the coming battle.

**Author's Notes:** There were a few things I didn't quite understand in Episode I. The first being was if the Trade Federation ship's shields were powerful enough to stop any attack from the Naboo fighters, why the heck didn't Anakin get either fried or bounce off when he flew into the docking bay? And the other, more important thing was Maul's stupid death. How could someone as well trained as he was just watch as Obi-Wan flipped over him and let himself get sliced like that? I found that really hard to swallow. So, I try to explain both issues with this chapter. The explanations themselves might not be that great, but at least I tried. Again, this hasn't been beta'd, so please be gentle.

Again, if you've taken the time to read, please be kind enough to review or critique. Thank you.

* * *

Collapsing like a sack of old bones, Sabé painfully fell to the ground. She lay there for several long moments, breathing hard. Slowly, she brought her hands to her face and grimaced at the savaged ruins they had become. Although her fingers were unscathed, the rest of her hands had most of their skin ripped off, still bleeding freely from many cuts. Taking some of what remained of her robes, she wrapped them around her hands. 

Outside, the sounds of battle could still be heard. Sabé caught sight of the flight of steps leading up to what she guessed was the bridge. More good could be possibly done up there than out there with the marauding battle droids.

Sabé stood up…and quickly fell right back to the ground. A wave of nausea from long hours being strung up, as well as the blood loss from her wrists, temporarily dazed her. Spots clouded her vision and she felt the almost overwhelming urge to sleep. Just as her eyes started to flutter, she brought her fist back and slammed it on to the deck. Sabé gasped as jolts of pain shocked her back into consciousness. Getting a hold of herself, she started crawling towards the stairs.

**oOoOo**

Darth Maul stood there, head bowed, centering himself for the battle he'd trained for his whole life. From where he stood he could hear the sounds of battle on the other side of the hangar doors. Amidala and her guards were overpowering the droids and hijacking the fighters. They were of no importance. All that mattered was defeating the Jedi. Even from here he could sense their presence.

He'd waited for a challenge like this fight for years, so much so that every fiber of his body ached to begin. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind as to the inevitability of the outcome: he _would_ win. All that mattered was the manner in which the two Jedi would fall. He sensed them approaching and held his breath.

The hangar doors opened.

Maul slowly raised his cowled head, glaring at the incoming group. Not surprisingly, the Queen was right at the front of the crowd, which abruptly stopped at his presence. For the barest fraction of a second, Maul locked eyes with the woman, seeing right through her. Her eyes widened and her gaze shifted from a mixture of fear, shock and understanding.

She knows, Maul thought. She knows or at least suspects that I am the one responsible for the disappearance of her decoy.

The Queen narrowed her eyes and Maul could sense the waves of uncertain anger directed towards him. He took it all in and reveled in it. His gaze flashed ever so slightly in mild amusement, giving confirmation to the Queen's unspoken questions. Then, adding insult to injury, Maul casually dismissed the woman and raised his gaze to take in his true target.

"We'll handle this," the taller of the two Jedi said, confidently walking to the front.

The Queen appeared to pause for a second before resolutely turning and leading the others away. "We'll take the long way," she told them.

Maul lowered his cowl and let slip his robes to the floor. Unclipping his lightsaber, he brandished it before him, igniting one crimson blade and then the other. The Jedi followed suit with theirs as well.

Growling in feral anticipation, Darth Maul leapt into battle.

**oOoOo**

Grunting, Sabé heaved herself onto the bridge. Breathing heavily and wiping a sweaty brow with a bloody hand, she took stock of everything around her. Circular in construction, the bridge sported controls and equipment that looked extremely state of the art. A single control chair sat upright at the front of the bridge and facing a large display screen. Dragging herself over, she pulled herself up and into the seat.

Small spots flashed before her eyes, but Sabé took a steadying breath and focused hard on what was before her. Most of the controls looked standard enough, though a few appeared locked out. Still, this was nothing she could not handle, thanks to Captain Panaka and his starship flight lessons.

Engines and navigation weren't quite what she needed now but an outside view of the battle would help in taking stock of the situation. A press of a button and the main scanners were brought online. The main viewscreen before her lit up and she could see the main palace in the background, smoke and blaster fire seen and heard in the distance.

A contact on the screen showed something very large in orbit. She focused on it and punched it up on the screen. There, as big as life was a Trade Federation Droid Control Ship, with dozens, if not scores, of smaller fighter craft flying all around it.

The scanner's computers already locked on and two detailed schematics appeared on a smaller screen, one of a Naboo Starfighter and the other of what appeared to be a droid fighter of sorts.

One after the other, the attacking ships let loose with blaster cannons and proton torpedoes, but any and all fire simply bounced off the Control Ship's deflector shield. Sabé caught one starfighter flying like a crazed mynock through the hordes of Federation fighters. It didn't appear to be fighting, simply avoiding as many of the ships as it could. Surprisingly, it didn't get hit. The same couldn't be said for two other fighters, which winked out from existence on the screen, blasted away by turbolasers.

Painfully, her hands clenched in frustration. Her people were out there fighting and dying for their homeworld and here she was watching it all like it was a Holonet movie! Desperately, she tried to find whatever other functions the control panel was capable of doing. Her eyes passed over a small screen and almost dismissed it, had it not had a small three-dimensional diagram of the Federation battleship.

Curious, Sabé touched the screen and instantly it grew larger. Contextual menus appeared here and there pointing to portions of the ship. One in particular caught her attention since it indicated the current status of the battleship's shields. Her eyes narrowed as she read the options on the list and then widened at one particular entry.

If she read this right, it looked like this program shut down the droid control ship's shields. Without a second thought, she tried activating it. A small window appeared, demanding a password. Sabé cursed. Of course it would never be _that_ easy.

Wasting no more time, she started typing like mad, once again silently thanking Captain Panaka for his classes on computer security and slicing.

**oOoOo**

Darth Maul was in his truest form. All the rigorous training he'd endured, all the pain, all the indoctrination by Lord Sidious…all led to this very moment. His practiced eye could tell that the taller, older Jedi was the more experienced fighter but that the younger one brought more of the energy to the fight. He darted between the two of them, sometimes focusing on one, other times fighting both at the same time. Skillfully he fought the Jedi, keeping them off-balance so that they couldn't coordinate their attacks.

He drew them into some form of massive power station deep within the bowels of the palace. The crimson double-sided lightsaber twirled between the two Jedi, keeping them at a distance. Maul suddenly lunged at the older Jedi, who parried his jab to his heart. The younger one then made a quick swipe for Maul's head, but the Sith easily blocked it and then savagely forced the blue blade down, temporarily putting the Jedi off of balance. With a quick twist of his body, Maul slammed the sole of his boot into the Padawan's face, sending him tumbling over the edge of the walkway.

The bearded Jedi, moving so fast he surprised even Maul, batted away the red blade and got close enough to slam his elbow into Maul's chest and then backhand him over the edge as well. With controlled agility, he gracefully fell to the lower level, only having the breath knocked out of him.

The Jedi was at him in a second but Maul snap-kicked him in the back, knocking him off balance. He then jumped up and started moving back towards a passage with glowing red partitions between them. Fighting defensively, Maul lured the aggressive Jedi further in. At the last moment, the red gateways parted and both continued to fight within the corridor. A solid, glowing red curtain abruptly sliced the air between and around them.

Jedi and Sith warily looked from one another to the sizzling energy partitions all around them. The tip of one of Maul's sabers touched the glowing energy, which crackled a bit but held firm. Maul shut off his weapon with the Jedi doing the same. Heart pumping from the fight, Maul paced and glared as the Jedi kneeled and began to meditate. Movement caught his eye and he looked up to see the younger Padawan, having recovered, also caught between partitions. Maul smiled wickedly at him, letting him know that he hadn't forgotten about him. The man stared stonily back.

**oOoOo**

Another Naboo fighter winked out of existence.

"Dammit!"

Sabé cursed as she furiously typed away. The security protocols were getting hard to bypass. Bandaged, bloodied hands did not help. Finally, she found a small crack in the system code and sliced in. Before any other safeguards popped up, she painfully slammed her finger down on a single button.

On screen, the grid representing the deflector screen crackled and then actually shut down for a second. A single fighter, flying uncontrollably, slipped past and dived headlong into one of the launch bays. The deflector screens promptly flared up and came back online.

Sabé grunted in frustration as she tried the command once again, but found it locked for good. On screen, the fighting continued but none of the Naboo fighters had had a chance to shoot through the temporary gap in the shields.

Sagging back in the pilot's chair, she put her head to her hands. One fighter had somehow gotten through, but what could it possibly do against a ship as large as that?

A scanner beeped and she looked up to see security footage of the Queen, Captain Panaka and several guards surrounded by Battle and Destroyer Droids. Her heart leapt to her throat as she watched the Queen quickly size up the situation and then slowly drop her weapon to the floor. The other guards reluctantly followed.

The uprising had failed.

It was over.

Everything that Sabé had endured – all that she'd suffered through came flooding back to her. She'd done her job beautifully, but the Queen was now captured and would almost certainly be forced to sign the treaty.

Fighting back bitter tears, Sabé placed her head in her hands as shudders of grief wracked through her body.

**oOoOo**

"Noooo!"

Darth Maul smiled grimly as the body of the old Jedi Master fell like an old sack to the floor. The screams of his young apprentice made Maul's spirits soar like never before. One thousand years of the Sith hiding in plain sight had come to an end with this one death – the first of many, Maul thought. Lord Sidious would be pleased.

He regarded the crazy, grief-stricken eyes of the Padawan, so close yet so far from his fallen master. A few moments more before the barrier parted was all that remained for the young man to die. Savage anger wafted from the grieving man and Maul reveled in it.

That's it Jedi, he thought grimly. There is no peace, there is nothing but emotion. Maul could sense a sliver of the dark side inside the man and knew he would do lose control in the fight.

The energy field parted and the Jedi flew at him. Savagely he attacked with no quarter given. Maul expected no less. Unexpectedly, the Jedi brought down his lightsaber and swiftly drove it upwards, cleaving Maul's weapon in half. The Sith warrior fell backwards from a well-placed thrust kick to his chest. Maul flipped, regained his footing and continued the duel. Both sabers clashed and crackled so fast, both seemed like a blur.

At one momentary pause in the battle, the Jedi overextended himself and Maul, seeing his opening, push forward, making the other lose his footing. A sudden Force Push sent the man flying backwards until he fell into a mining pit in the very center of the room.

Maul, breathing hard, couldn't begin to hide the exultation that shimmered through his body. Two Jedi dead by his hands for his master – the barest beginnings of revenge for the Sith Order. His foe's weapon lay near the edge of the pit. When Maul walked over to pick it up, he frowned as he glanced down the pit. The young Jedi hadn't died, but held on to a small protrusion on the pit wall for dear life.

Maul almost sent another wave of the Force to be done with it, but paused. A lifetime of hating the Jedi order made him want to see the dangling Jedi suffer just a little longer. Maul slid his foot forward and casually knocked the Jedi's lightsaber into the pit, enjoying the look of despair on the man.

**oOoOo**

An urgent beeping brought Sabé out of her despairing reverie and she looked up again to see more scenes from the security cameras spread out across the palace. Another small group of guards was moving across the palace, avoiding droid patrols when possible. If they weren't captured yet, then there was still hope. But it was who was leading them that made Sabé sit up and take notice.

Cordé!

Face painted and fitted with clothing suited for battle, the third Queen decoy led the men on a circuitous route towards the throne room. Sabé knew that Cordé had needed more training, but she must have been hastily pressed into the role given the fact that the first decoy – her – had already been taken. Another security screen showed Padme and her group being escorted directly towards Viceroy Gunray, who looked disgustingly satisfied with the situation.

Looking from one screen to the other, Sabé instantly knew that Cordé would not make it in time. The Trade Federation had locked down many routes to and from the throne room. But the handmaiden knew that whatever the Trade Federation tried to lock up, this ship certainly had a way of opening. Sabé found it ironic that she could now open all those routes from the console of this ship. Gratified, she watched as 'the Queen' and her guards mowed down the few battle droids around and surprised the Viceroy with her appearance. The surviving guards ran after the supposed Queen, leaving the Viceroy relatively unprotected.

Suddenly, all the security screens Sabé was watching went white with interference. She tried one button, then another, but found the panel unresponsive.

On a far, dark corner of the bridge, a tiny camera had come alive and was currently focused directly on her. Many light years away, on another world, a similar screen showed the woman trying to access the controls. A single, well-manicured finger, already pressing one button, slid over, flipped a protective screen over, and decisively pressed a red button.

Back on the ship, Sabé reared back as buttons started pressing down by themselves. Large portions of the control panel began to systematically shut down; data cores were systematically being wiped of information.

As she futilely continued to stop the system shut down, she began to notice a slight vibration beneath her bare feet. Had she been wearing footwear she might not have noticed it, but it was enough for her to pause in her actions and cock her head. The vibrations began to grow more pronounced and it was now that a slight whine was just beginning to register in her hearing. As it grew louder it set Sabé's teeth on edge.

A cold pit began to form in her stomach. The classes in starship flight had included maintenance and repair. One class dealt with stressed engines after having a ship caught in a tractor beam. Pushing sub-light engines too far could cause them irreparable damage, or worse, detonation. Although the indicators were blown away, the sound was now infinitely recognizable:

The engines were slowly being overloaded.

In a frenzy, Sabé looked everywhere for something to use to stop the build-up. Near her seat was a toolkit on the floor. Opening it, she found a rather large and heavy hydrospanner. With nothing to lose she hefted the tool, arched it over her head, and slammed it onto the console with a great eruption of sparks. Delicate and expensive components shattered and flew everywhere. Smoke and the smell of ozone filled the cockpit. Power and energy arced everywhere from short circuits.

One holdover security protocol, still not affected by the shutdown, took notice of the system-wide malfunctions and immediately sent an emergency comlink transmission requesting instructions. Unfortunately, due to the power surges and arcing, the feedback sent through the transmission beam increased its power by a factor of ten.

**oOoOo**

Maul was furious.

He swiped at the edges with his remaining lightsaber and watched the sparks rain down on the hanging Jedi, who stubbornly hung on. The Sith Lord decided to end it right here and now. He started to raise his hand for one final push when the Force suddenly flared within the Jedi. Frowning, Maul caught sight of the dead Jedi Master's lightsaber twitching and instantly knew what was coming. Calming himself, he prepared to strike at just the right moment. This would be a kill worth remembering.

Time slowed down.

The Jedi surged upwards from the shaft in an explosion of Force power. The lightsaber leapt towards the Jedi, while Maul raised his lightsaber to cut down the Jedi in mid-flight.

Without warning, his wrist communicator vibrated violently. Power crackled through the glove and over the entire side of his body, contracting almost every muscle and making it impossible to move. Dumbfounded, Maul could only impotently watch as the Jedi's outstretched hand grabbed the flying lightsaber as he flipped over him, igniting it on the way. His feet barely on the floor, the Jedi swung the saber with all his might.

Time resumed.

With a violent gasp, the Sith Lord watched blood mist and boil away from his midsection. Eyes widening in utter disbelief, Maul found himself unable to feel below his waist. He took a step backwards…and plummeted into the shaft.

The last image he had before everything went black was that of the triumphant Jedi watching him as he receded further and further away.

oOoOo

Coughing and cursing, Sabé covered her ears as the high-pitched scream of the engines rose to painful levels. A deep rumbling from the rear of the craft made everything shake uncontrollably. Sirens and warning lights flashed and keened, adding to the already chaotic scene.

I've only got a minute, she thought.

Dropping the useless 'spanner, she threw herself from the chair to the floor. Clawing and crawling her way to the access stairway. She didn't even stop as she slid painfully down the metal steps, bruises and lacerations adding to her already battered body.

At the bottom, she looked around, barely noticing the heat building up in the area. In the dim light, she found what she was looking for. Parked near the entrance, a small U-shaped swoop bike with a powerful rear engine, floated on a repulsorlift. Scrabbling forward, Sabé pulled herself up onto the seat.

Switches were thrown and the sleek bike powered up in no time. Sabé had no way of opening the rear hatch, so she pulled on a trigger on the handle. Twin small but potent blasters popped out on either side of the bike and sent three successive blasts shooting forth.

At the third barrage, the doors exploded outward. Instantaneously, Sabé punched the accelerator. Heedless of the flaming shrapnel still burning and falling around, she streaked with a roar of engines out of the ship.

Air whipping her hair crazily behind her and tears running past her eyes, Sabé flew blindly for exactly two seconds. A massive explosion thundered everywhere behind her, sending a blast of searing air slamming into her. The bike suddenly buckled as the shockwave threw it forward. Losing her grip, Sabé found herself carried up and out by the still powerful wave of hot gas and fire.

Smoke, flames and wreckage flew by her field of vision.

Then blue skies and green fields.

Sabé closed her eyes.

Then she felt sharp, intense pain…and then she felt nothing.

**-Continued- **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** I didn't mean for the delay for this last and final chapter. The chapter didn't read right to me, but I did the best I could. It does feel wierd finishing up one story after 6-7 years. Again, thanks to those who took the time to review. Also, for those who have been silent, please let me know what you thought of this. Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoy.

**oOoOo**

Sabé floated in warm white light. The peace and tranquility of her surroundings were all-encompassing, all-pervading. Eternity could be spent here without the batting of an eye, and she was very much tempted to remain.

Still…something nagged at her, something of importance. Try as she might to remember what it was made it that much harder to focus on it. Even as she felt the memory finally come within arm's reach, a sudden feeling of coldness slowly surrounded her. Remorselessly, it inched its way from her lower body, all the way to her head. She winced as parts of her mind flared in pain. A very painful headache quickly came and went, breaking her feeling of tranquility. The memory soon became so ephemeral it was as if one tried to hold and contain the last wisps of smoke slipping through one's fingers.

Time passed, though whether it was several minutes or several days, Sabé could not tell. Eventually, an increasing feeling of weight came over her. Feeling and smells soon made themselves apparent. The ambient light that had surrounded her slowly coalesced into a diffuse orb, still raining warmth over her. The effulgence dimmed somewhat as something floated in front of it.

Sabé blinked. Shapes and colors gradually sharpened around here. A brush of a hand and she felt something warm and silky covering her body. She found herself lying in one of the ornately made four-poster beds usually left to VIP's or heads of state. The room she was in was sparsely, yet elegantly, furnished. Beautifully wrought windows, as high as the ceiling, were open to the morning air. A light breeze wafted in with the scents of morning dew and flowers. The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon with the first rays bathing her face in warmth.

I'm home, Sabé thought in weary relief.

As her gaze went past the windows, she noticed a small gathering of chairs around the bed – one of them recently occupied. Still somewhat in a daze, Sabé gazed back up to see a tall, bald, dark skinned man leaning over her with compassionate eyes and a mouth set in a tired, yet thankful smile. The man wore brown robes and her eyes wandered down to a lightsaber hanging from his belt.

"Welcome back to the living, handmaiden," Jedi Master Mace Windu quietly said.

**oOoOo**

The next hour or so felt something like a blur. Several doctors, as well as a Jedi Healer, were called in and checked on her vitals while Master Windu watched closely. She didn't quite understand why an eminent Jedi would be in her room, but was surprised when she was informed that the entire Jedi Council had flown in all the way from Coruscant. Along with the council, she was further surprised to hear that the newly-elected Chancellor Palpatine has also arrived to personally see the damage caused to his homeworld. Before she could ask any questions, the main door opened and in walked Padme and the new Chancellor.

As the last of the doctors finished up, one walked up to Padme and spoke quietly. The Queen nodded once and everyone left the room except for her, the Chancellor and the Jedi Master. The door closed quietly behind her, but not before Sabé noticed several guards standing right outside her door.

Padme's face was a mask of conflicting emotions. Seeing this, Palpatine leaned in and whispered a few words to her. The Queen sighed and nodded gratefully as Palpatine led Master Windu to the far side of the room near another window for several moments of privacy.

"Milady," Sabé whispered. Padme swallowed and seated herself beside the bed. The handmaiden was mildly shocked at the other's appearance. The last few days had certainly taken a toll on the young woman. Although still in her late teens, the Queen's haggard eyes and sallow skin made her look almost twice that age. A world occupied and then fought for with many deaths on your side would do that to any leader worth his or her salt.

Padme said nothing for several moments, looking almost ashamed to look at the woman who played her decoy. Before the silence became uncomfortable, Sabé said, "I take it we won?" A smile graced the Queen's face.

"Oh, yes," Padme breathed leaning over to grab a frail, heavily bandaged hand. "We were able to find the Viceroy and make him capitulate. Our fighters – well, _one_ fighter actually – were able to destroy the Droid Control Ship. The droid armies fell immediately after." Padme shook her head. "It's still a mystery how one fighter was able to penetrate the droid ship's shields when the others couldn't shoot through it."

"I guess I did some good after all," Sabé murmured to herself.

The Queen looked confused and then said, "Sabé, there's so much we don't know about after you were kidnapped. And I'm sure you have just as many questions as well. But before we do anything I need to say something first." Padme swallowed, looked away and brushed at her eyes. Coughing once, she took a deep breath and looked her friend deeply in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sabé. I'm so very, very sorry," Padme said in a whispered, choked voice.

The handmaiden slowly shook her head. "Milady…there's no need to apologize. I did only what I was trained to do. If I had not done so then perhaps Naboo would not have been liberated."

Padme said nothing, but her eyes gazed up to see the various crisscrossing burn marks still evident on her friend's arm.

"You did your duty spectacularly, Sabé. Please don't for a moment think I'm trying to diminish that. All of Naboo owes a debt of gratitude to you – I, more so, above anyone else. But at what cost?" The Queen lightly traced the lacerations and in a hoarse voice said, "Did our training include being tortured in such a manner? Could _any_ training have helped when you were…were…" Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Padme's eyes roamed further up and stop of Sabé's neck.

The handmaiden lifted a hand to gingerly feel the area. Although she couldn't see them, she knew the bite marks were still visible.

Sabé squeezed the Queen's hand. "What happened to me…I wouldn't have wanted it to happen to either one of us, but it did. Had it been you, Naboo might now have signed a treaty with the Trade Federation. My job was to protect you, Padme, and I would not have it another way." Sabé's eyes lost a little focus and she swallowed. On its own, her hand went from her neck to her opposite arm, fingers gently touching the fading scorch marks.

"I – I'm not quite sure when I'll be ready to talk about everything that happened to me. I don't know when I'll be able to come to terms with what happened to me, either. It might take a while before I can put it behind me, if ever."

The Queen nodded. "However long it takes, I want you to know I'll be here for you. I'm sure it might help to know that the person who kidnapped you was stopped by Obi-Wan Kenobi." Even after she said it, Padme winced a little.

"What?" Sabé said, noticing the look.

"This warrior…he – he killed Master Qui-Gon Jinn during the fight."

Sabé closed her eyes and shook her head, remembering the wise Jedi who, along with his apprentice, rescued her while she played the part of the Queen.

"There's so much I don't know. How long have I been out?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"Four days. Our doctors were able to stabilize you when you were found some distance from the explosion of that ship. When the Jedi Council showed two days later, they had their best healers with them."

"Then I should thank them."

Padme gestured to the Jedi Master, who walked over with Palpatine in tow.

Mace took the thanks in stride and bowed slightly. "We have done what would have been done for anyone else. However" – his face hardened slightly – "I do realize you do need your rest, but it is imperative that I, and some of my council members, talk to you about what you witnessed while in the hands of this assailant."

Sabé sighed. "Of course, Master Windu…but might I ask that it be done in a little while?"

"Of course, child," Chancellor Palpatine said, patting her hand. He looked over at the Jedi Master. "The young woman has just woken up from a long ordeal, and she must be extremely hungry. Surely the council can wait an hour or so to conduct its interview while she regains her strength?"

"Of course."

Both Chancellor and Jedi made for the door. However, before he closed it, Palpatine glanced over.

"I do have one question, child," he asked. "Your assailant, the one who" – his lips pressed a little in anger – "perpetrated all these offenses: did he happen to say what his name was?"

"Maul," Sabé said quietly.

"Maul. What an unusual name."

Shaking his head, the Chancellor silently closed the door behind him.

Sabé looked at Padme who shrugged.

"He's been pretty preoccupied with what happened to you. When he arrived with the Jedi Council and heard what happened, he demanded to see how you were doing, even though you were unconscious at the time. I was with him when we came to see you." Padme smiled. "You should have seen him. He just sat next to you, holding your hand. Before he left he placed his hand on your head, as if you were a child of his. I swear he was holding back tears."

Sabé smiled slightly, but winced a little from the onset of a mild headache.

Padme came over and gave her friend a hug. "Rest a bit. I'll send for someone to bring in something to eat."

"Thank you," Sabé said. She watched the Queen close the door behind her.

Several minutes later, there was a knock at the door and in walked a familiar figure carrying a laden breakfast tray.

"Obi-Wan," Sabé said with a smile.

The Jedi nodded and gave a small smile of his own. "I was on my way up to see you, so I thought you'd like something to eat." Kenobi came over and gently placed the tray down on the bed. "The council won't be in for another hour or so, but I think you'd like to get your strength up before then."

"You're too kind," she said, nibbling on a small biscuit and taking a sip from a local tea. Neither said anything for a few minutes. Finally, feeling a little better, Sabé glanced over.

"I feel a little guilty eating in front of you."

"Don't be," Kenobi said. "Quite honestly, I…I've been rather preoccupied lately to worry about my appetite."

Sabé stopped in mid-bite and put down her cup. "I heard about what happened to your master," she said quietly. "I'm very sorry. I guess both of us have gone through trying times."

Obi-Wan angrily shook his head. "It should be I who should be apologizing, Sabé. You would not have endured so much had I not – "

"Obi-Wan," Sabé said in a quiet, yet firm voice, "we could waste a lifetime and go insane with 'if only's. We were both taken completely off-guard by that warrior. The Queen informed me that you fought and bested Maul. Am I correct?"

Obi-Wan nodded and frowned slightly. "I didn't even know this Sith's name, but 'Maul' seems very appropriate enough."

"Sith?" Sabé asked, finishing her tea.

Kenobi looked to speak and then closed his mouth. "I shouldn't say too much until the council has spoken to you."

Sabé said nothing but blinked when she noticing something about Kenobi's hair. As a handmaiden, and especially as a decoy, she'd been trained to notice changes of any sort.

"Your braid."

Kenobi touched the side of his head that once held the long plait signifying his status in the Jedi Order. He gave a tight smile and said, "While you were out, Master Yoda informed me that the council had officially conferred on me the title of Jedi Knight."

"I would say congratulations are in order," Sabé said with a tinge of sadness, "but I'm sure you would have liked to have received the title under better circumstances. What I can say, Obi-Wan, is that you definitely deserve it."

"Thank you," Kenobi said in return. His smile actually got a little larger and he chuckled quietly. "I do have to say, you had Qui-Gon and I fooled with your being the Queen. You probably heard my jaw hit the ground when Padme came forth and told Boss Nass who she really was in order to make an alliance with the Gungans."

"I guess I should be flattered," Sabé said with a twinkle in her eye. "It's not every day one learns that they were able to fool the Jedi."

The Jedi's eyebrows rose slightly and a corner of his mouth twitched. "I think I would have figured it out eventually," he said in amused tartness.

The handmaiden's smile grew larger. "I doubt it."

Before either could say anything more, there was a knock at the door. It opened to allow Mace Windu in. He paused briefly when he looked from Kenobi to Sabé.

"Obi-Wan, your presence is not required for these proceedings," he said quietly.

Kenobi bowed slightly. "With respect, Master, I would like to know more of what happened." His face darkened slightly. "Considering it was I who allowed the Sith Lord to kidnap whom he thought was the Queen at the time."

The Jedi Master pursed his lips and gave a brief nod. "Very well," he said and stepped aside. Masters Yoda, Kidi-Adi-Mundi and Adi Gallia all walked in. Obi-Wan looked from one to another.

"We felt that having the entire council present might put undue pressure on you," Mace said to Sabé. "Plus, the other members wanted to look through the remains of the ship you escaped from."

All the members sat down on chairs nearest to the bed. At a nod from Yoda, Mace started.

"Sabé, we need to ask you some questions concerning your kidnapper, as well as what transpired between the times you were kidnapped, to when you arrived here. Some of our questions may be pointed, so please bear with us."

"One other thing, child," Master Gallia gently interrupted. "We've read the medical report given to us by our healer as well as your own doctors. We know what was done to you," she said compassionately. "You do not need to go into detail, since we understand that it must be painful to dwell on it." Her eyes darted towards Kenobi and she nodded once at his having dealt with the person responsible for such barbarity.

"Thank you," Sabé sighed in mild relief.

"Sabé," Kidi-Adi-Mundi said, leaning forward, "before we begin, did this individual have a name or title that you remember?"

Sabé slowly said, "Yes. He called himself Maul, Darth Maul."

The Jedi Master's face gave away nothing, though he did glance meaningfully at the others.

"Please go on," Mace prompted

Sabé spent the next hour or so going over most of what she remembered during her ordeal. She'd told it as best she could, since some details were somewhat murky. Some details, unfortunately, were quite ingrained in her mind. Though she sparingly described her torture with a lightsaber, more than one Jedi's eyes flashed in the room. Nothing could debase an elegant weapon as a lightsaber more than if it were used as a weapon of pain.

Once the story of her captivity had finished, the Jedi then asked the woman about Maul himself, his appearance, any mannerisms, how he spoke and especially if he said anything of importance.

While the Jedi digested most of what she said, Sabé interrupted by asking, "What is so important about this person that it concerns the entire Jedi Council?" She looked from one Jedi to another, until her eyes fell on Obi-Wan. "Wasn't he just some form of Jedi that you killed?"

Kenobi looked a little uncomfortable as he glanced over at the other masters.

"This person," Mace began, "appears to be a member of an order whose sole purpose was the destruction of the Jedi. The Sith were thought to be extinct over a thousand years ago. Needless to say, we are somewhat surprised and concerned that they are, in fact, still around."

Sabé shuddered a little. "Are you saying there might be more of them out there?"

"Know this for certain, we do not," Master Yoda replied, breaking the silence he'd kept throughout the entire meeting. "Important this last question is, handmaiden: Speak to anyone else this Sith did, while in his ship you were?"

Sabé's brow wrinkled. Just as she'd told her tale earlier, there were moments where she felt there should have been more to say but parts of her memory were still clouded.

When she didn't say anything after a full minute, Mace Windu sighed.

"We suspected as much. Your injuries were so severe that it's possible you have had some memory loss."

"There is another possibility," Adi Gallia ventured. "This Sith had you in his power for some time. It is possible that during his" – her lip curled – "_interrogation_ of you, he may have caused some damage to your memory."

"Is there anyway to fix it?" Sabé asked.

"It may not be wise at this time," Mace said replied. "Your body and mind have gone through a very traumatic experience. Plus, there's no guarantee that trying to repair the damage might not aggravate the condition. All we can hope is that, with time, some of your memories do come back." He, along with the other council members, stood up. "We thank you for your time and know that it must've been difficult for you to recount." Mace then turned to Kenobi. "Obi-Wan, we'll be holding the service for Qui-Gon tonight."

With that, all the masters filed out of the room. Kenobi solemnly watched them go.

"Service?" Sabé asked as the door closed.

"It's a tradition when we pay our final respects to a fallen Jedi."

"I didn't know him too well. But if it's allowed, I'd very much like to say good-bye to him as well."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Of course."

Since Sabé was still quite weak, a wheelchair was found for her to sit in. Obi-Wan pushed her out to the main courtyard where most of attendees were slowly making their way to one of several stone built altars of meditation that overlooked the waterfalls of the capital.

Inside, many people were gathered around to pay their last respects to the Jedi. The entire Jedi council, Boss Nass and several other Gungans, Queen Amidala in full regalia as well as Chancellor Palpatine all congregated within the shrine. Qui-Gon Jinn's body already lay in the center on top of a large stone bier.

Sabé sat between the Queen and Obi-Wan. At a prearranged signal, flames rose from the bier slowly consuming the body. As the flames climbed higher and higher into the star-laden sky, she caught Padme's eye.

"Sabé," Amidala said quietly. "My term as Queen will soon end. I have been thinking of running for senator now that the position is open." She placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "When you're well enough, I'd like you on my personal staff. Chancellor Palpatine has also extended an invitation to you to come visit Coruscant. He feels it's the least he can do for your role in helping Naboo."

"I'd be honored, milady," Sabé said squeezing her friend's hand. She turned her attention back to the center of the room but – due to all she'd endured – found her mind wandering as she stared at the dancing flames. Light-headed and mesmerized by the fire, she heard low voices from her right.

Master Windu stared at the fires as well as they slowly consumed the body of Qui-Gon Jinn. Although outwardly composed, his thoughts were troubled. One of their own had been struck down by Sith. The very fact that they had obviously hidden themselves so successfully for a millennium was even more distressing. While there had been some disbelief when Qui-Gon had first come to the council with this news, the information given to them by the handmaiden had erased any and all uncertainty.

He turned to Yoda.

"There's no doubt," Mace said. "The mysterious warrior _was_ a Sith"

Yoda nodded. "Always two there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice."

"But which was destroyed?" Mace asked. "The master or the apprentice?"

Sabé's eyes lost focus as that last sentence floated over.

_Master…apprentice…master…apprentice…_

A coldness formed in the pit of her stomach as a sudden memory blossomed in her mind.

_There knelt Maul before a holographic projector. The ghost-like robed figure berating him for being duped by a decoy. Sabé strained to look underneath the cowl of the robes. All she knew was that it was extremely important. Only the sneering mouth and chin could be seen. A few more inches and she thought she could see…_

Nothing.

The memory quickly dissipated, making her swoon a little. Obi-Wan leaned down and look at her in concern.

"Are you alright? You seemed to blank out there for a moment."

Sabé slowly nodded. "I'll be fine. It's just that, for a moment, I thought I remembered something that was very crucial."

"If it was that important, then it should come back to you eventually," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully.

"I hope so," Sabé said. "I won't rest until it comes back to me."

Several feet away, dark, brooding, unfathomable eyes slid surreptitiously over to her at hearing those words. It seems that it had been a good idea to suggest to the Queen that she keep the handmaiden close by as an aide. The young woman wouldn't be visiting Coruscant until she'd fully recovered. The offer had been the least that could have been done, especially with…_everything_ for which she was responsible. Every available security measure would, of course, be extended when she came to visit.

Then again, the person thought, these were such chaotic and uncertain times.

Even when visiting a Chancellor…accidents did happen.

-**FIN-**

8


End file.
